Adjustable pusher devices



y 1967 L. F. SMREKAR ADJUSTABLE PUSHER DEVICES Filed April Zl, 1964INVENTOR.

LARRY E SMRE KAR BY |3A I30 FE.

ATTORN EYS United States Patent Ofifice 3,318,693 Patented May 9, 19673,318,608 ADJUSTABLE PUSHER DEVICES Larry F. Smrekar, 6604 Solon Blvd.,Solon, Ohio 44139 Filed Apr. 21, 1964, Ser. No. 361,517 11 Claims. (Cl.279--59) My invention relates to pushers or feeders for advancing stockin a machine tool or other apparatus, such as an automatic screwmachine. The pusher or feeder of the present invention is of the generalclass or kind shown in my prior US. Patents No. 2,833,545 and No.2,872,199 and embodies important improvements over the devices shown inthose patents.

An object of the present invention is to provide a pusher device soconstructed and arranged as to have a minimum of parts externally of thestock being fed by the device.

Another object is the provision in which the stockgripping pad membershave only one tube or shell disposed externally thereof rather than twoor more tubes or shells.

Another object is the provision for elimination of resilient feedlingers within the shell or outer member of a pusher, such asincorporated in the above-identified patents.

Another object is the provision in such a device for incorporatinglongitudinally resilient means for exerting resilient tension on the padmembers, which longitudinal resilient means is disposed internally ofthe outer shell or tubular member of the device.

Another object is the provision for improved efliciency in the operationof such a device by an economically fabricated structure.

Another object is the provision for producing new and superior resultsby novel means.

Other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had byreferring to the following description and claims, taken in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a device embodying myinvention and looking in the direction of the arrows 11 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 2 is an elevational view partially in section of a pusher deviceembodying my invention;

FIGURE 3 is an endwise view of my device looking in the direction of thearrows 3-3 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view looking in the direction of thearrows 44 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is a cross-sectional view looking in the direction of thearrows 55 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of a modified form of mypusher device; and

FIGURE 7 is a cross-sectional view looking in the direction of thearrows 77 of FIGURE 6.

In the preferred form of my invention as illustrated in the drawings, mydevice has a shell or outer tubular member 11. Ecceutrically mounted ornested within the shell or outer tubular member 11 is an inner tubularmember 13. The tubular members 11 and 13 are threadably interengagedadjacent the rearward end, that is, its end to the right in FIGURES 1and 2, -by the internally threaded end portion 11A interconnected withthreaded portion 13H of the inner tubular member 13. Rotation of theinner tubular member 13 relative to the outer tubular member 11 causesrelative axial movement of the inner tubular member 13 by reason of thisthreaded interengagement of portions 11A and 13H.

The rearwardmost end portion of the inner tubular member -13 is threadedas at 13F, which threaded portion 13F is threadably engaged to a support14 partially shown in broken lines in FIGURES 1 and 2. This support 14supports and axially moves my pusher device during its cycle ofoperation in feeding stock 15 to a screw machine or the like.

Within the shell or outer tubular member v11 and forwardly of the innertubular member 13, that is, at its left-hand end as shown in FIGURES 1and 2, there are three stock-engaging pad members 12. More or lessnumbers of pad members may be utilized in the place of the three padmembers illustrated. These pad members 12 are disposed around the axisof the device and together form a central bore through which stock 15may pass, the inner surfaces of the pad members 12 being adapted togrippingly engage the stock 15 upon the pad members moving radiallyinward against the outer surfaces of the stock.

At the outer corners of the three pad members 12, the pad members arenotched or cut away to form notched comers 12C as better illustrated inFIGURE 5. The tubular member 11 has three key or pad-retaining por tions11B extending radially inward from the circumferential wall thereof.These keys or pad-retaining por tions 11B are formed by longitudinalslits formed in the wall of the tubular member 11 and the materialthere- 'between is pressed inwardly by a forming operation to providethese three keys 11B equidistantly located around the member 11. Thesekeys 11B fit within the opposed notched corners 12C and prevent the padmembers 12 from freely revolving within the tubular member 11 andrelative thereto.

Adjacent the forward end of the tubular member 11, there is provided aninternal shoulder 11D which slopes or inclines both forwardly andradially inward of the inner wall of the member 11. The forward end faceof the respective pad members 12 are provided with sloping or inclinedfaces 12A which complement and engage the sloping internal shoulder 11D.

The opposite end faces, that is, the rearwardly directed end faces ofthe pad members 12 are provided with sloping or inclined rear faces 12Bwhich extend rearwardly and radially inward from adjacent the inner Wallof the member 11. The forward end of the inner tubular member -13 isprovided with a sloping end face 13] which complements and engages thesloping rearward end face 128 of the pad members 12. By reason of thedisposition of the respective interengaged faces 11D and 12A andinterengaged faces 12B and 13], camming means are provided wherebyforward movement of the forward end face of the inner tubular member 13relative to the internal shoulder 11D causes the pad members 12 to bemoved radially inward toward the axis of the device.

While other suitable camming arrangements may be utilized, the abovearrangement is a preferred method for translating axial movement of theinner member 13 into radial movement of the pad members 12. Theinterengaged surfaces need not necessarily complement each other indegree of slope of inclination. It is required, however, that thearrangements of the intercugaged surfaces be such that forward axialmovement of the forward end of the inner member 13 toward the internalshoulder 11B of the outer member 11 causes the pad members 12 to moveinwardly upon the stock 15.

The forward end of the outer member 11 is provided with a cross-notch11E and the rearward end of the member 13 is provided with a cross-notch13G. These crossnotches 11B and 13G accommodate tools for turning orrotating one of the members 11 and 13 relative to the other.

For indicating the rotative position of the inner member 13 relative tothe outer member 11, I provide indicia the outer circumferential surfaceof the member 13. A sighthole 11C is provided in the wall of the member11 so that one may look through the sighthole 11C and by observing theparticular number in line with the sighthole 11C readily determine therelative rotative position of the members 11 and 13. I

The inner tubular member 13 is provided with means for giving itlongitudinal resilient compressibility. In the preferred form of myinvention, this resilient c mpressibility is provided by a plurality ofcross-slots cut down transversely through the wall of the tubular member13 beyond the halfway mark, that is, beyond a plane coinciding with theaxis of the member 13. In the form illustrated, there is a firstcross-slot 13A which terminates with round portions 13B. Toward therearward end of the member 13 is a second cross-slot 13C whichterminates with the rounded end portion 13D. The depth and dispositionof these cross-slots is such that by compressing the member 13 in anaxial direction between its forward end face 13] and its anchored orthreaded portion 13H, there is a resilient yielding or giving in alongitudinal direction. Thus, upon the turning of the inner member 13relative to the outer member 11 and imparting forward axial movementthereto so as to press the forward end face 13] against the rearward endface 12B of the pad members 12 and meeting resistance by the pad members12, the reaction is such as to resiliently compress the inner member 13in a longitudinal direction. Thus, forward movement of the forward endface 13] against the pad members moved the pad members radially inwardand to the degree that the pad members resist radial inward movementupon engaging the stock 15, the member 13 is resiliently compressed in alongitudinal direction. This longitudinal resiliency maintains aresilient urging against the pad members so that the camming meanspreviously described resiliently urges the pad members inwardly againstthe stock 15. Thus, there is not only positive urging of the .padmembers radially inward, but to the degree of the resilient compressionof the member v13, there is added a resilient action which maintains aradially inward force upon the pad members 12. By proper adjustment ofthe rotative position of the member 13 relative to the member 11, thedegree of inward movement on the pad members 12 is obtained and thedesired degree of resilient urging thereon is also assured.

A modified form of inner tubular member is illustrated in FIGURES 6 and7. The device of the modified form is similar to that above describedfor the preferred form except for the disposition and arrangement of theslots. In this modified form of FIGURE 7, the inner tubular member isdenoted by the reference character 17. It is provided with six spirallydisposed slots formed in the wall thereof, these being denoted by thereference characters 17A, 17B, 17C, 17D,.17E and 17F. These slotsthrough the wall of the tubular member 17 also provide a resilientcompressibility to the tube member 17 in a longitudinal direction.Preferably both the outer tubular member .11 and the inner tubularmembers 13 and 17 are made of appropriate steel. are best made of asteel which provides for the required resiliency as above described uponimparting longitudinal compression to the inner tubular members.

It is to be noted by the arrangement that longitudinally extendingfingers are eliminated and the 'difliculty of manipulating the same,such as for opening the forward ends to insert and remove pad members,is obviated. Also it is to be observed that my device may have a smallerexternal diameter then other devices as, instead of having two tubularmembers external of the pad members, there is only the tubular member 11disposed radially outward of the pad members 12. This permits the outerdiameter of the device to be maintained at a minimum relative to thestock being accommodated. Other advantages and I benefits will bereadily recognized by those having knowl- The inner tubular members 13and 17 edge of the limitations and shortcomings of the prior devices.

The present disclosure includes that contained in the appended claims,as well as that of the foregoing description.

Although this invention has been described in its preferred form with acertain degree of particularity, it is understood that thepresentdisclosure of the preferred form has been made only by way of exampleand that numerous changes in the details of construction and thecombination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafterclaimed.

What is claimed is::

1. A pusher for advancing stock extending axially of the pushercomprising in combination an inner tube member, an outer tube memberconcentrically disposed around said inner tube member, said tube membershaving interengaged threaded portions adjacent the rearward end of saidouter tube member, said inner tube member being adapted to be connectedadjacent the rearward end thereof to a supporting member, a plurality ofpad members disposed in said outer tube member adjacent the forward endthereof and arranged on opposite sides of the axis of the outer tubemember for accommodating said stock extending intermediate the padmembers, each of said pad members having at its forward end an end faceinclined forwardly and radially inward, each of said pad members havingat its rearward end an end face inclined rearwardly and radially inward,said outer tube member adjacent its forward end having an inner shoulderinclined forwardly and radially inward and abutting the forward endfaces of said pad members, said inner tube member adjacent its forwardend having an end face inclined rearwardly and radially inward andabutting the rearward end faces of said pad members, forward movement ofthe V inner tube member toward said pad members relative to said outertube member pressing said pad members longitudinally thereof betweensaid abutted forward end face of the inner tube member and said innershoulder of the outer tube member to camming'ly urge said pad membersradially inward to grip stock positioned therebetweenflhe wall of saidinner tube member intermediate said forward end face and said threadedportion thereof being slotted transversely of the longitudinal extentthereof to provide resilient compressibility thereto in a longitudinaldirection upon being moved longitudinally against said pad memf bers,said resilient compressibility providing for maintain-.

ing pressure on said pad members by the inner tube member moved againstthe pad members suificiently to resiliently compress the inner tubemember in a longitudinal direction. a

2. A pusher for advancing stock extending axially of the pushercomprising the combination of an innertube member adapted to accommodatestock extending therethrough, pad members disposed forwardly of saidtube member and disposed on opposite sides of the axis thereof to gripstock along said axis upon said pad members movin g radially inwardagainst the stock, an outer tube member disposed concentrically aboutsaid inner tube member and said pad members, said outer tube memberhaving an inner shoulder adjacent its forward end, said pad membersbeing disposed between and in engagement with said inner shoulder andthe forward end face of said inner tube member, said inner and outertube members having threadably interengaged threaded portions adjacentthe rearward end of the outer tube member for moving the inner tubemember longitudinally relative to the vouter tube member by rotativemovement of one to the other, said inner shoulder and the forward endface of said pad members being disposed relative to each other toprovide a first camming interengagement, the said forward end face ofsaid inner tube member and the rearward end face of said pad membersbeing disposed relative to each other to provide a second camminginterengagement, said cam ming interengagements providing that said padmembers are urged radially inward toward stock axially disposed in thepusher upon the forward end face of the inner tube member being movedtoward said inner shoulder, said inner tube member having its wallsslotted transversely of the longitudinal extent thereof intermediatesaid forward end face and said threaded portion thereof to providelongitudinal resilient compressibility thereto, forward longitudinalmovement of the said threaded portion of the inner tube member relativeto the outer tube member by rotative movement of the said interengagedthreaded portions of the tube members pressing the forward end face ofthe inner tube member against the rearward end faces of the pad membersto resiliently longitudinally compress the inner tube member formaintaining forward longitudinal pressure on said rearward end faces ofthe pad members.

3. A pusher as claimed in claim 2 and in which said inner tube member isslotted by a plurality of cross-slots cut through the wall of the innertube member at spaced locations along its length, the said slotsextending transversely thereof more than halfway across the inner tubemember.

4. A pusher as claimed in claim 2 and in which said inner tube member isslotted by a plurality of equidistantly spaced slots spirally disposedalong said inner tube member.

5. A metal pusher device comprising the combination of an outer tubularmember, an inner tubular member concentrically disposed in the outertube member and a plurality of pad members disposed in the outer tubemember around the axis thereof and adapted to grip stock extendingaxially through the tubular members, said outer tubular member having aninternal shoulder adjacent its forward end having a rearwardly directedface spaced from the forward end face of the inner tubular member, theopposite end faces of said pad members being interengageable with saidrearwardly directed face of the shoulder and with said forward end faceof the inner tubular member, respectively, the said interengageablefaces being disposed relative to the axis to cammingly urge said padmembers radially inwardly upon said forward end face of the innertubular member being moved toward said internal shoulder, said tubularmembers at a location axially spaced rearwardly of said forward end faceof the inner tubular member being threadably interengaged wherebyrelative rotative movement therebetween moves the inner tubular memberaxially in the outer tubular member to move the forward end face of theinner tubular member relative to said internal shoulder, said innertubular member having a plurality of slots formed in the wall thereofintermediate said forward end face thereof and said rearward locationand angularly disposed to planes coinciding with the axis thereof toimpart resilient compressibility in an axial direction to said innertubular member, reslient compression of said inner tubular memberbetween said pad members and said rearward location resiliently pressingthe forward end face of the inner tubular member toward said internalshoulder to resiliently urge said pad members radially inward.

6. A pusher device as claimed in claim 5 and including key means carriedby said outer tubular member and protruding radially inwardly to withina circle coinciding with the outer circumferential surface of said padmembers for restraining the pad members against revolving relative tothe outer tubular member.

7. A pusher device as claimed in claim 5 and in which said outer tubularmember has a non-circular internal wall radially outward of the said padmembers and said pad members complementarily interfit with saidnon-circular inner wall to restrain revolving of said pad members aroundthe axis of the outer tubular member relative to said outer tubularmember.

8. A pusher device for feeding stock extending axially therethroughcomprising the combination of concentric inner and outer tubularmembers, a plurality of pad members mounted in outer tubular memberforwardly of said inner tubular member, adjusting means at a locationadjacent the rearward end of said outer tubular member interengagingsaid tubular members at an axial distance from the forward end of saidinner tubular member for providing relative axial movement between thetubular members, first camming means interposed between said innertubular member and said pad members and second camming means interposedbetween said outer tubular member and said pad members arranged toprovide that forward axial movement of said inner tubular memberrelative to said outer tubular member by said adjusting means causessaid first and second camming means to move said pad members radiallyinward, said inner tubular member being resilient in an axial directionfor resiliently urging upon compression the inner tubular member at theforward end thereof forwardly against said first camming means toresiliently urge said pad members radially inward.

9. A device for gripping stock extending axially of the devicecomprising the combination of concentrically disposed inner and outermembers, pad members within the outer member disposed around the axisthereof to accommodate stock therebetween, opposed surfaces carried bysaid inner and outer members, respectively, for engaging opposite endsof said pad members therebetween, adjustable engaging meansinterengaging said inner and outer members at a location spaced fromsaid opposed surface of the inner member for moving said inner membertoward said pad members to press said opposed surface of the innermember toward the opposed surface of the outer member and against thepad members, said inner wall member having slots through the wallthereof, and in planes each at an angle to the axis of the inner member,said slots extending circumferential distances avoiding straightlongitudinally disposed portions of wall uninterrupted by slots alongsaid inner member to provide longitudinal resilient compressibility tothe inner member, said resilient compressibility imparting a resilientforce urging the opposed surface of the inner member against the padmembers upon the opposed surface of the inner member meeting resistanceof the pad members to move ment, the said opposed surfaces of the innerand outer members and said opposite ends of the pad members includingcamming surfaces for causing the pad members to be urged radially inwardupon said opposed surfaces engaging and pressing in an axial directionon said opposite ends of the pad members, movement of the inner membertoward the said opposed surface of the outer member by adjustment ofsaid engaging means pressing the opposed surface thereof toward theopposed surface of the outer member to press between them the saidopposite ends of the pad members, the resilient compressibility of theinner member being adapted to add thereto the resilient urging of theopposed surface against the adjacent opposite end of the pad members.

10. In a pusher for feeding stock, the combination of gripping padmeans, said gripping pad means having inclined surfaces, outer tubularmeans for accommodating therein the gripping pad means, inner tubularmeans within the outer tubular means in alignment with the gripping padmeans, camming means carried by the outer and inner tubular meansengaging said inclined surfaces and operative upon relative movementbetween said inner and outer tubular means for cammingly moving saidgripping pad means inwardly toward gripping engagement with stocktherein, said inner tubular means being resilient in an axial directionfor adding resiliently yieldable force upon compression thereof tooperate said camming means by said inner and outer tubular means.

11. In a pusher device for feeding stock therethrough,

' the combination of movable pad members adapted to grip stocktherebetween, an outer tubular member for holdmg the pad members aroundthe axis thereof, an inner tubular member operatively connected to theouter tubular member and aligned with said pad members, and cammingmeans interengaging the outer tubular member, pad members and innertubular member adjacent the opposite ends of the pad member and arrangedto cause the pad members to move radially inward by relative axialmovement between said inner and outer tubular members, said innertubular member being resilient in an axial direction for adding aresilient force to said operation of said camming means to resilientlyurge the pad members radially inwardly.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,978,315 10/1934Lemay.

8 Fischer 27958 X Sheffer 27946 Hasselblad 27946 Smerkar 27947 Cox279--47 Corlett 27955 FOREIGN PATENTS France.

ROBERT C. RIORDON, Primary Examiner.

E. A. CARPENTER, H. V. STAHLHUTH,

Assistant Examiners.

10. IN A PUSHER FOR FEEDING STOCK, THE COMBINATION OF GRIPPING PADMEANS, SAID GRIPPING PAD MEANS HAVING INCLINED SURFACES, OUTER TUBULARMEANS FOR ACCOMMODATING THEREIN THE GRIPPING PAD MEANS, INNER TUBULARMEANS WITHIN THE OUTER TUBULAR MEANS IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE GRIPPING PADMEANS, CAMMING MEANS CARRIED BY THE OUTER AND INNER TUBULAR MEANSENGAGING SAID INCLINED SURFACES AND OPERATIVE UPON RELATIVE MOVEMENTBETWEEN SAID INNER AND OUTER TUBULAR MEANS FOR CAMMINGLY MOVING SAIDGRIPPING PAD MEANS INWARDLY TOWARD GRIPPING ENGAGEMENT WITH STOCKTHEREIN, SAID INNER TUBULAR MEANS BEING RESILIENT IN AN AXIAL DIRECTIONFOR ADDING RESILIENTLY YIELDABLE FORCE UPON COMPRESSION THEREOF TOOPERATE SAID CAMMING MEANS BY SAID INNER AND OUTER TUBULAR MEANS.